Queen of the Heartless

by melanoradrood

This was who she was. What she was. She was an Original. The Alpha of the Originals. The most powerful being to walk the planet. She was the Queen of the Heartless, and she left fire and death wherever she went. Dark Caroline, Role Reversal, Mystic Falls gang is the Originals, Mikaelsons are present day humans. Eventually Klaroline, Kennet, Stebekah Delena, Janna, Kalijah.

9. Chapter 8 : Better Feared Than Loved

Chapter Eight : Better Feared Than Loved

The house had seemed to quiet down a good bit once the electronics had arrived and been set up. More orders had been placed by all of the occupants - even Stefan. Caroline couldn't help but recognize the irony in the fact that thousand year old vampires were being kept amused by items that had been around for less time than a short Bonnie nap. Regardless, Caroline was happy. There had been no more yelling since Stefan burst into her room, yelling about the Mikaelson boy.

She had to admit, it intrigued her that they had heard nothing from the Mikaelsons. After getting confirmation through Stefan that Kol Mikaelson had been turned, she had forbidden any contact between them and the Mikaelsons. They had to come to them to get help. They were Originals and deserved more than a phone call. No one had protested - even Stefan. She was glad to know that he stood behind her in this. But, she knew that she couldn't completely trust him. She had already bugged every phone in the house.

They were stupid, to think she wouldn't recognize the smell of sage burning. She had known the second that most of the sound stopped in the house, and once the scent had hit her nose, she knew then that Bonnie was doing a spell. She listened out and could only hear Anna moving about. The fact that Bonnie was talking to Stefan was no large surprise, but she felt betrayed that Tyler had been involved as well. Regardless of anything else, Tyler's connection to the group had always been through her. The fact that Bonnie and Stefan were now confiding in Tyler was a dagger to her own heart.

But Tyler had stayed locked up in his room. On occasion, he slipped out for blood and liquor, but the rest of the time he stayed on his computer. She half considered hacking that as well, but the idea of seeing what Tyler looked at in the privacy of his bedroom disgusted her. There were far better things to do with her time.

Like figure out why the hell the Mikaelsons hadn't called. This had been a well thought out move. There were no other vampires in this town, of that she was sure, and now their younger brother had been turned into one. He was young and reckless, and would likely lose control. He had no ability to walk out in the sunlight. Two of his elder brothers were trained to hate him, as a hunter and a werewolf. And still no call had come. She was beginning to think they had just staked him. Regardless, they were drawn to the power that the Originals radiated. At the end of the day, she knew someone would contact them.

And that was how she ended up sitting at the grand piano that Stefan had kindly supplied in her study. She wasn't playing any piece in particular, but instead allowed her fingers to run up and down, in different exercises. She didn't need to repeat these motions, over and over, but somehow it soothed her. She would hit a particular interval, and her hands would glide for a moment, playing out a tune, and then she would return to the dancing up and down the ivory keys.

Her eyes flicked up, though, when she heard Stefan's phone ring. Everyone that was important was currently in the house, meaning that only one of Stefan's informants - or a Mikaelson - could be calling right now. She tried to keep her steps even as she rose from the piano bench and began walking towards the door. Across the hallway, the door was open and Stefan stepped out, his phone in hand.

Their eyes locked, and she knew that it was Finn calling. She nodded her head, and Stefan answered it. "Doctor Mikaelson, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

The line was silent for a moment. "We need your help. With Kol."

Caroline let a smile slide across her lips. Three days? It had taken them three days to reach out for help? She was a little impressed. Her hand reached out to take the phone and Stefan offered it willingly. She was glad that he wasn't going to fight her on this.

"Oh really, love? And why would you possibly need our help?"

There was silence on the other end of the line again, and then she heard a growl and a sigh. She could place both of them on Finn's other two brothers. She realized then that the phone was on speaker.

"Did something happen? Well, I certainly hope the youngest Mikaelson lad is... alright."

There was a muttered 'you have to be kidding me' from an older voice that she didn't recognize belonging to any of the Mikaelsons, and a huff from a girl. There was movement as well, as though the phone was shifting hands, and then she heard a voice that made her grin.

"Hey, Caroline! You wanna come over and drink blood?"

"Kol!"

"Shut up, Kol!"

"Kol, you idiot."

"Really, Kol?"

"Give me the damn phone, Kol."

She grinned, and waited for Klaus to grab ahold of the phone. It took a moment, and then she heard his warm voice. "We don't want to play games with you. We need your help with Kol."

Caroline smiled at Stefan and began walking back towards her bedroom. Stefan followed a step behind, and when she reached her bedroom door, she turned back to him. The line was silent again, as though all of the siblings were awaiting her answer. Oh, how good it was to be the queen.

"I'm an Original, love. You want something? You come over in person and ask for it. Learn to respect your elders."

She hung up the phone and handed it back to Stefan with a smile. "We have guests coming over, and I need to get dressed!"

Stefan's eyebrow raised slightly at her statement as she walked inside of her room and slid off the leather jacket she was wearing. "But, you're already dressed..."

She gave him a smile and a wink over her shoulder. "And they're all on vervain."

It seemed to dawn on Stefan what she meant, and he shook his head slightly. She laughed as his face twisted slightly and walked towards her closet as she pulled her top off over her head. Oh yes, it was so much fun to toy with her new playthings.

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

Klaus stared at the phone for a second, then shook his head, angry. He knew that calling them was a stupid idea. The ball was now entirely in their court, and she was expecting them. He should have ignored his siblings and driven over to the mansion to ask. The move would have perhaps startled them. "We shouldn't have fucking called."

He handed the phone to Finn and went to grab his jacket. There was no way anyone else was going over to the mansion. Finn was too weak, Alaric too angry, and Elijah was not her favorite person after trying to stake her. They could never put Rebekah in danger, and the sun was still shining outside so Kol was a no go. The only option was him, and she seemed to at least be able to tolerate him.

"Where do you think you are going, Niklaus?"

"Where the fuck do you think, Elijah? I'm going over there to ask her to come help Kol."

Finn stepped forward, shaking his head. "I don't think that's best, Niklaus. It should be myself and Elijah. We are the eldest-"

"You two are the reason we're in this mess! If you hadn't tried to stake her, she wouldn't have killed Kol. Who are they going to kill next? Bekah? Do you want that? Do you want our little sister locked in the basement?"

Everyone stared at him in shock, and he shook his head. His entire body was radiating with anger. How had they gotten to this point? They were constantly bickering, it seemed. Kol wouldn't even come near to any of them for longer than a second and he could see Rebekah's bloodshot eyes from crying. Elijah was out drinking Alaric, which was saying something, and Finn hadn't shaved in a few days. Klaus himself had been avoiding going in to work as much as possible. They were falling apart.

"Listen to me. No matter what, we are family. Including you, Alaric. We are a family, and that means we have to stick together. No more bullshit fights. As dysfunctional as we are, there is a bigger threat out there that we are facing, and we have to face it together. Can you all pull your shit together long enough for us to go over there and get help for our brother?"

His elder brothers, and Alaric, all nodded. Klaus grabbed the keys to the suv off the front table and turned to face the babies of the family. "Kol, stay in here. Drink every single bottle of liquor for all I care, just don't leave this room. Rebekah, go upstairs so that it isn't so bad for Kol. And for the love of God, don't let anyone in."

They both nodded, and Klaus looked at the rest of his large family. "You guys coming, or what?"

.:| The Queen of the Heartless |:.

Caroline stared at herself in the mirror as she applied her red lipstick. She dabbed at it for a moment, ensuring that her lips were flawless, then stepped in front of the full length mirror. Perfect. This was going to be an interesting meeting.

She walked out of her room when she heard the vehicle pull into the driveway. Everyone but Stefan were in their room, and he was standing at the top of the stairs waiting for her. He looked her up and down for a moment, his mouth opened slightly, and she gave him a wink and used two fingers on his chin to close his mouth for him.

"You're staring, Stefan. It's nothing you haven't seen before."

She walked down the stairs easily, regardless of the platforms on her boots and skyrocketing heel. They were laced up the back and reached to her knee. Something about these particular boots, while rather unpractical, were just so much fun. She couldn't wait to see the reaction she would get from whichever Mikaelsons came over.

She knew that Klaus would be among them. He would be unable to resist her. At least one of his other brothers would be with him. She would be impressed if the hunter actually had the courage to show his face. The newborn would not be among the group, given the time of day, unless the little witch somehow figured out daylight jewelry.

Caroline could hear footsteps approaching the front door and she reached forward to open it. Four men were standing there, just about to knock. She raised her eyebrow and looked over each of them. Finn looked away from her, Elijah's eyes went wide, the man she didn't know let out a whistle, and Klaus' eyes darkened. She rolled her eyes then turned around and walking straight to the sitting room. Stefan was standing at the base of the stairs, his arms cross over his chest, watching them. She wasn't sure who he thought he was protecting... The last time she had had her back to a Mikaelson, she was the one in danger.

The door closed behind her and she heard all four sets of feet following her. She went straight for the bottle of scotch that was sitting, waiting for her, and she poured a few mouthfuls for herself. After replacing the top, she turned around to see all four men standing in the entryway, watching her. She raised an eyebrow at them and took a sip of her drink, then walked slowly to rejoin them.

"Not going to offer us any?" asked the man she didn't know. Her eyes thinned at him for a moment, and the man tensed up slightly.

"Good afternoon, boys. What brings you all the way over here?"

She took another sip while both Finn and Elijah spoke up.

"You killed our brother!"

"Our brother is a vampire because of you."

She pursed her lips together and felt the veins around her eyes rise slightly. She pushed it back down and looked towards her feet for a moment, then looked back up. Alright, they obviously were not in the mood to play games today.

"Will you two shut up and act like adults?" she heard Klaus say. Well, that was a surprise. She had to wonder how long the boy had been taking charge of family matters. He was the middle child, and yet he acted like the leader. Lots of Alpha blood in him, to be certain.

Her eyes locked with his and she raised an eyebrow slowly. He stared back and she glanced away, not ready to start a staring competition. She didn't have time for that. She took another sip of her drink, then handed it to the man she didn't know. "I have no idea who you are, but go sit down and drink. I don't have time for you right now."

Her voice was so powerful that compulsion wasn't even needed, though she knew he was on vervain. The man accepted the glass, shrugged at the other guys as if he had no complaints, and went to sit in the room she had just exited. Her gaze now turned to the young hunter.

"So, I killed your brother, did I? Well now, why don't we look at the facts. For example, I told you not to try and cross me. I told you that no harm would come to anyone if you didn't harm us. I even warned your little brother, to be careful at night. And yet, you tried to cross me. You went so far as to put a stake in my back. And then, your brother trusted a stranger. I did warn you, Elijah. Next time, heed my warning."

Elijah looked ready to protest but she closed her eyes and shook her head slightly. "I warned you, Elijah Mikaelson. This is what happens when you try to outsmart an Original. You lose. Now shut up."

Elijah nodded his head jerkily and took an involuntary step back. She let a smile return to her face, then glanced over at Finn.

"I turned your brother into a vampire? Oh no, Doctor Mikaelson. I think not. Your brother's injuries were not life threatening. He could have had surgery and lived. But no, you wanted to take the easy way out, and gave him some of my blood. You made that decision, not me. My order was only to kill him if he had my blood in him. Maybe next time, don't rely on the supernatural for everything, and instead do your job. You can shut up as well."

She then looked at Klaus, standing in front of his two stunned brothers, and gave him a smile. "I'll deal with you in a second, love. Why don't you go stand with Stefan while I finish up with your brothers."

Klaus glanced over both shoulders to his brothers, then gulped and walked over to Stefan. She waited till he was a few paces away, then smiled at the two standing in front of her. Oh, it would be so easy to just rip their hearts out. Perhaps she could snap their necks. Would she have enough time to shove her blood down their throats first? Did she even really want to?

"Why did you come here?" she asked sweetly. "And remember that his future rests in my hands!"

Elijah's jaw tightened and Finn groaned, then spoke. "We need your help."

She tossed her head a little, enjoy this. "Need my help with what?"

Finn spoke again while Elijah gritted his teeth. "With Kol."

"How can I help Kol?" she asked, letting her face be over bursting with a smile and her eyelashes fluttering. Oh yes, she looked like a helpless little girl, but they were both shaking before her. She didn't care if it was fear or rage.

"He needs to learn control." Finn said. She let her eyes drift to Elijah, who refused to talk, and pushed her lips together for a moment. "Please."

She rolled her eyes again and tossed her head once more. "All at once now. Please..."

"Will you PLEASE help Kol gain control of his Vampirism," Elijah growled out. She gave him a pouty smile and tilted her head to the other side.

"Now was that so hard to ask?"

She gave them a moment, then let the smile drop from her face. The anger she had earlier held returned, and she glared at them both. "No. Now go sit with your little friend and shut up till I'm done."

Elijah started to protest, and she picked him up by his neck. Everyone gasped, save for Stefan, but no one moved to stop her. She raised him a few inches off the ground, regardless of the fact he was much taller than she. Good thing she was wearing these boots today. "You have tested me once before, hunter, and yet you try again? Do you carry a death wish? I said sit down and shut up."

She released her grip and his feet hit the ground as she was turning away. Klaus was grinding his teeth and she could tell that he was angry. She ignored him for a moment and looked at Stefan. "Keep our guests occupied, will you love?"

Stefan pursed his lips together, revealing his 'too tired for this shit' face that strongly resembled his 'why is it a Monday' face, but stepped towards the sitting room. She looked at the sheriff standing beside her, then began walking up the stairs. She had taken two steps when she said, without turning around, "Come, Niklaus."

He growled a little behind her, likely from the use of his full first name, but she ignored it and continued up the stairs. He wasn't following her, and once she reached the top, she turned around to face him. "I said, come."

He slowly made his way up the stairs, and she smiled as she walked towards Bonnie's room. It was so good to be the alpha.

.:| The Honorable Nobleman |:.

Stefan walked into the sitting room and immediately went over to the bottle of scotch that Caroline had poured a drink from earlier. What he really wanted was blood... Fresh, warm blood, filling up his mouth and running down his chin. Heartbeats slowing as he drank with no worries or distraction... There was fresh blood nearby and he could smell it in the air. His eyes closed as he breathed it in, then turned around towards the blood. All three men that had come in earlier were sitting on the couch, as told, watching him. No, he didn't need blood. Drinking blood from and in front of human guests would be rude. He would just stick with scotch.

"What do you do to your hair to make it look like that?"

Stefan froze where he was standing, then turned around to look at Elijah, who had spoken. The man he didn't know was staring into his now empty glass and Finn was looking at Elijah like he was crazy. He was crazy. Did the hunter really just ask him about hair care? Their youngest brother was a vampire, the most dangerous woman in the world was upstairs with the other, and he was asking about hair care?

Where was the nearest fridge with blood bags?

He left the three men sitting in the room alone as he casually walked into the dining room and opened up the wine cooler. Inside were bottles of wine that were mixed with blood. He grabbed one of the open bottles and poured himself a glass. After a few sips of it, he refilled the glass and returned to the sitting room.

"What are you drinking?" This man again? Was the only thing he cared about alcohol? Stefan offered the cup to him, and he went to take a sip. The man's eyes bulged and he coughed on the mixture, then handed it back. "Don't want that again."

Stefan smirked a little, then said, "You probably shouldn't take drinks from strange vampires then. It was bloody wine."

The man's face paled, and Stefan walked over and poured the man some of the scotch he had earlier ignored. The man immediately grabbed the glass and Stefan shrugged, stepping around to sit in his chair. "I strongly recommend you all get comfortable. It might be a while."

Elijah got up to pour himself a drink while Finn leaned forward towards Stefan. "Why did she take Klaus upstairs. Is she... forcing him?"

Stefan snorted, knowing that the sheriff was already interested in Caroline. Even still, Caroline wouldn't play that card so early. "Caroline's intentions for your brother are not something to concern yourself with. I am more than certain he would be a willing partner, but he is not to Caroline's taste."

"You mean she prefers women?"

Stefan stared at Finn, wondering for a second what was going through this man's mind. How did the man even breathe on his own? "I mean that you are human and possess no great power or wealth."

"And?"

Hadn't he spelled it out enough without being harsh? "And we are royalty. The most powerful beings to ever walk this planet. She can control countries with the flick of her wrist. And you are all commoners. Beneath us."

He hadn't been listening too closely to the conversation upstairs, but then it went dead silent. A few seconds later, he heard someone coming down the stairs and looked up to see Bonnie. Her caramel face looked pale and her eyes were wide. She ignored the others in the room as Stefan rose from his chair and walked over to her.

She didn't even bother to lower her voice as she spoke. "Stefan, she knows."

Stefan was confused. What would Caroline know that would scare Bonnie so badly? He shook his head, as if to show that he had no idea what she was talking about.

"She came upstairs and told me to do a privacy spell, and then told me she knew that I had already performed the spell once. The look in her eyes... she KNOWS that Tyler was there as well. And she is furious about it."

He was an idiot to have thought they would get away with it. No matter what he said now about the matter, Caroline wouldn't trust them. He had held the meeting without her knowledge, hoping to make things better, but instead, things were worse. He kept his face calm, though, and put both of his hands on Bonnie's shoulders. "Don't worry about it. I'll talk to her."

Bonnie nodded her head, and then looked over his shoulder. He turned to see that she was looking at the men. They were staring back at her in turn. Stefan offered his arm to Bonnie and she took it, and he brought her into the room. Finn had risen from his seat and walked over to join the other two.

"Bonnie, please allow me introduce Doctor Finn Mikaelson, his brother Elijah, and, I'm sorry, but your name is?"

The man looked up at him, startled, and said, "Alaric Saltzman. Vampire Hunter."

Stefan let his eyes thin for a moment, then rolled them and squinted them shut for a second. Dealing with this family was taking all of his patience. He lightly scoffed, then opened his eyes and turned back to Bonnie. "And their friend, Alaric Saltzman. Finn and Elijah are the eldest two Mikaelsons."

Stefan looked up at the three men again, just in time to see the Mikaelson brothers nodding. "Gentlemen, this is Miss Bonnie Bennett."

Bonnie lifted her head a little, then gave them all a smile. "A pleasure, gentlemen. I apologize for anything that Caroline has done to upset you. Mr. Mikaelson, are you fully healed since your previous visit to our home?"

Stefan released Bonnie's arm to go get her a glass of wine as well, and came back in to see that Bonnie was sitting on the edge of his chair while the three men had returned to the couch. He picked up his own glass from where he had earlier set it down, then sat in his chair after Bonnie shifted her legs a little to allow him to sit.

"Forgive me, Miss Bennett, but I must ask. You are... with Stefan?"

Bonnie bursted in a snort at Elijah's question and Stefan looked at her with a raised eyebrow. His words were muttered as he said, "Thanks, Bon."

She rolled her eyes at him, then looked back up at the men. "No. Stefan's heart has long belonged to another. I am simply another member of the family."

"The family?" Alaric asked, while Stefan handed Bonnie her drink. She took it, and the veins around her eyes fluttered for a moment as she breathed in the scent of the blood. All of the men pulled back slightly at the sight, and Stefan answered.

"The Original family," Stefan shrugged. It should be obvious. They had already established that, although Stefan was not related to Caroline, it was still as if she was his sister.

"Family is far more than just blood - although I guess for us we are tied together with blood as well," Bonnie stated, but Stefan could see that they were still a little confused.

"Bonnie is a Vampire." There. That should clarify it enough for them.

The fireplace beside them burst up in flames and he saw out of the corner of his eye Bonnie smiling at the men. "And a witch."

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

Klaus stood awkwardly outside of the room while the woman Caroline had called 'Bonnie' did what he assumed was a spell. A privacy spell, she had said. He had no idea what was going on, but he wasn't scared. No, he was more nervous. Excited. Everything with Caroline was unpredictable, and he was rather enjoying it.

When Bonnie left the room, Caroline beckoned him in. She went to sit down in an arm chair and he sat on the sofa beside it. She was leaning back in the chair, with one leg crossed over the other, and his mind lost control. He could imagine those creamy, pale legs spread for him, and her only wearing those black boots. Her legs would wrap around his waist as he ground himself against her. One of her legs would make it's way over his shoulder as he pushed deeper. His hands would grip the back of her thighs, jerking her harder against him-

"So, Sheriff Mikaelson, I'm certain you are filled with questions by now. It has been a few days since we last spoke."

He was jerked out of his thoughts and looked from her legs to her eyes. She looked almost innocent, as though she had no idea that he had been caressing her body in his mind, but she was far too smart to not have some idea. His mind tried to sort out what she had asked.

"Just one. I want to know how to become a werewolf."

Her eyebrow quirked and she sat forward slightly, allowing him a better sight of her cleavage. The tight dress she was wearing revealed most of her back to him and came to a v over her breasts. He envied the beads of her necklace, wishing that it was his fingertips instead that caressed her skin.

And then she was getting up from her chair and walking away. Now, he was given another glorious look of the back of her legs, smooth back, and the fabric of the dress was so deliciously short... And he could see her ass now. He felt a little lightheaded, watching her bend over in front of him.

His body was almost fully turned now to look at her bending over as she searched the bookshelf. The fabric had ridden up to the point that the bottom of the fabric was just over the edge of her butt. He didn't know what exactly she was looking for and he tried to keep his thoughts together as she spoke again.

"I have to wonder how you feel about the fact that your brother is a Vampire. Did you know that Werewolves and Vampires are mortal enemies?"

She bent forward a bit more, searching the shelf below, and his mouth went dry. He didn't give a damn what she was searching for anymore. The fabric was so close to shifting up her ass, to show him her core. Fuck the bookshelf. Fuck his siblings downstairs. There was only one thing he wanted right now.

Caroline fucking Forbes, the delicious, blonde, Original Vampire, on her hands and knees in front of him, with her ankles crossed and the fabric of her skirt riding up to the point that he could take her from behind. His mind was filled with this vision, and he realized then that the image would be forever burned into his mind. He wanted to get off this couch and push her forward more, so that he could see her spread for him.

But his mind cleared and he realized that her ass was still completely covered, and what he saw in his mind was not reality. She was straightening up now, having found whatever book she was looking for, and he jerked his head away, trying to hide how rock hard he was for her in that moment. She was returning to her chair and he shifted in his seat. He wanted her, and regardless of how much he tried to look at the artwork on the walls, there was no more denying that fact.

.:| The Queen of the Heartless |:.

Caroline returned to her seat and noticed that his eyes were looking at the wall. She had known that the idea of her bent over would entice him, but she hadn't quite realized how much it would truly affect him. The wolf in him, even unactivated, was likely pushing for him to have her in that position, but she could tell that the man in him wanted her just as badly. It took all of her self control to not let a smile creep across her face and she bit her tongue to keep from pointing out his obvious arousal. All in due time...

"I think that you will find this an interesting read." She leaned forward to hand him the book, and he jerked his eyes back to her. Their eyes locked as she handed it over, then sat back in her chair as if nothing was going on.

"And why should I read it?" he asked, his voice sounding thicker and deeper than normal.

"It is a book on werewolf lore. Perhaps you will find something in there that piques your interest."

"Lore?"

"Oh yes, sweetheart. Werewolf lore. You see, I have learned over the past millenia to collect a variety of things. Music... books... and art, like what you see on the walls. The beautiful things in life. With my position comes power, and with power comes great reward."

She shrugged a little, as if trying to brush off the fact that she was the most powerful being to exist, but she hoped that her words enticed him to ask more about the beautiful things in her life. She wanted him to ask about what she had seen, and what she had done. She actually wanted to share these little things with him, so as to show she wasn't just some monster.

"Your power comes from fear. Wouldn't you rather be loved than feared?"

Caroline scoffed at his words. "Love. What a childish concept. Love results in pain. Love results in agony. And as a vampire, love results in death. No, Niklaus Mikaelson. Fear is what keeps me alive. Fear is what keeps me on top."

"So that's what you want, then? For everyone to fear you?"

Caroline rose from her chair, unable to stand him looking at her as he spoke. Love was a concept she had given up long ago. Loving had always brought her pain. It had made the bloodlust rise. And it had nearly resulted in her death. When she was surrounded by those that feared her, however, she was strong. Invincible. No one would dare stand against her.

Her feet carried her to the piano, where she could always find solace. On the piano alone could she display her emotions other than anger. She could let sadness take over, or happiness. On occasion this idea of love. But the sage was going to burn out eventually, and she still hadn't discussed what she needed to with Klaus.

An idea popped into her head then, and she walked around to the side of the piano. Her back was to Klaus as she reached her arm in, far further than necessary, to release the stand and set down the lid. She went on to her tippy toes as she leaned forward and bent over slightly, then pulled back agonizingly slow to set down the lid.

She braced both of her hands on the top of the piano and remained bent over slightly, her back arched as if she was putting all of her weight onto her hands. Her mind drifted away for a moment as she stood there, thinking about his words. Yes, she wanted everyone to fear her. There was no love left in this world for a being like her.

She couldn't even look back over her shoulder at him. He had many reasons to fear her. She was threatening his family and the town he was sworn to protect. She had nearly killed one of his brothers and turned another. He was powerless to stop her, and yet he stood up to her. No, what was more, he wanted her. He had seen a glimpse of her true nature, and he actually wanted her in some form.

"You don't fear me."

.:| The Lone Pup |:.

He knew that his words had affected her in some regard as she walked away. His eyes followed as she approached the piano, and he shot up when she bent forward slightly. Even the littlest movement now made his mind fill with the vision of taking her from behind. She was bending even further forward now and he walked around the edge of the sofa.

He was going to walk over to her, grab her hips from behind, and take her just like that. His fingers would dig into her flesh. It would be rough and hard, just like he imagined she liked it. That long blonde hair would be held tight in his hand as he had his way with her. He would make her scream out his name.

Her words stopped him in his tracks. She had pushed herself up so she was no longer so far forward. No, he didn't fear her. Wasn't he supposed to be fearing for his life? Instead, he just wanted to have his way with her. And he still wanted to. His steps continued again, this time with an added need to show her that there was more than just fear in this world.

But then she was turning around to face him again, and suddenly she was sitting up on top of the piano. Now, he was forced to look up at her. He had forgotten, for just a moment, that she was the Alpha. In his normal life, he was always in charge. He seemed to always make the decisions and lead the group. It was how he became the sheriff so young. But around her, he often felt so powerless.

"I'll make you a deal," she said, looking down at him while she crossed one leg over the other. Her hands were set on either side of her, as if she was about to push herself up and off from her seat. He had to force himself to look away from her legs and back up to her eyes. She was so close... only a few feet away...

"I can help your brother out. He will be able to control his blood lust and learn how to be a Vampire. Bonnie will also teach your sister about witchcraft. This benefits both of us, in truth."

He nodded his head, liking the terms so far. His younger siblings would get that which they needed most.

"In exchange, you will not try to attack me again. You will not betray me to anyone. You will not try to harm my family, and you will do as I say when it comes to protecting yourselves and my doppelganger. I know you are all likely on vervain by now, so I cannot compel you, so I will have your word. On your family."

Klaus gulped, and was ready to respond, when she raised her finger slowly. "Think about this first, Niklaus. Do not just agree. I have been protecting my family for a thousand years from far greater threats than children playing at hunters, so do not think that you can overpower me. I will rip you all to shreds if you try to double cross me."

The words settled over him, and he knew that she was serious. His siblings believing him was another matter. Elijah was cocky enough to believe that she wouldn't retaliate again for the stake he had jabbed into her back, but he felt that was a ticking time bomb. She didn't seem the kind of person to forget so easily.

But they would do as he said. He may not be the oldest, but he was the one that could protect them best, even without the hunter training that Alaric and Elijah possessed. He was going to make them understand, one way or another, that they couldn't hurt the Originals in any way. It wasn't like they could even really kill them.

"You have a deal."

Their eyes locked and she looked down at him as if to decide whether or not she could trust him. He gazed back up at her, and his eyes drifted over the worry lines in forehead and around her eyes. After one thousand years of protecting her family, he could only imagine how many sleepless nights she had spent worrying for those she loved.

And then she sat up and smiled. "Excellent. It looks like we are heading over to your house then, sweetheart."

Her eyes left his face and looked down at her legs. His eyes followed hers, and then he heard words that he could only assume coming from his imagination. "Well, I can't run in these. Would you mind helping me out of them?"

He looked up at her, shocked, and saw that she was looking down at him innocently. Surely, she had realize what she was asking him to do. His body had just been starting to calm down, and now she was asking him to remove the boots from her beautiful long legs. "I'm sorry, what?"

She looked down at her legs then back up at him. She leaned forward slightly to touch the back of one of her calves. Her words were innocent, as if she truly needed his help. "My boots. They tie up in the back, and I can't quite reach them to get them off. I could go ask Stefan, perhaps, but you're already here, so I thought perhaps-"

He had already stepped forward and grabbed the leg that was on top, just beneath where the boot started. He didn't care what Stefan was to her, nor did he care what he really was to her. He didn't want another man touching these legs that belonged wrapped around him. Only he should ever be able to touch her.

His eyes jerked away from hers and he gripped the laces, undoing the knot, then began to hook his fingers in each loop to undo the back of the boots. He imagined that this was what unlacing a corset was like, and the image of Caroline in a corset that he got to unlace was filling his mind. He tried to keep his breathing even as he neared the bottom of the boot, and his eyes went back to look at hers.

There was no smirk on her face. No laughter in her eyes. She was simply watching him, and it made him feel even more put on the spot. His hand gripped over the toe of the boot and he pulled it off. He couldn't help but to let his hand caress her calf, and he wished more than anything to have both her legs thrown over his shoulders. Their eyes locked once more as he released her leg from his hold and dropped the boot to the floor.

Now, there was fire in her eyes. She looked as though she was enjoying this, but not in the way he was. No, he was standing here, removing her boots, while she teased him. He was like putty in her hands while she was fully in control, and he didn't even care. His hand had just caressed the softest skin in existence, and now, she was leaning back on her lower arms while raising the other leg.

Her free leg was touching just under his ribs, and was slowly working it's way down his side. Her foot was about to reach behind his legs, and he forced himself to continue undoing the laces. He was almost done when he felt her foot bend enough that it felt she was trying to wrap her leg around his. He almost snapped the last of the laces as he pulled them from the last loop, and now he was dropping another boot to the floor.

This caress of her legs was far better placed, letting one hand slide along the outside of her thigh upwards to her hips. His other hand caressed the outside of her free leg, and their eyes remained locked as his hands slid. His body was moving closer to hers, and he was ready to jerk her off the piano so that she could wrap her legs around his waist. These long beautiful perfect legs needed to be wrapped tight around him.

But as one of his hands reached her hip, she sat forward and pushed him backwards with the slightest nudge. It caught him so off guard that he took two steps backwards, and then she was standing up in front of him. How could a woman that actually had to look upwards to him seem so powerful? He gulped, realizing where his thoughts had almost taken him, and then Caroline was walking away from him. What just happened?

"Why do you keep everyone at a distance, like you're so high above everyone else?"

Caroline stopped in her steps and turned back around to face him. Her arms crossed over her chest as she shifted her weight to one side and looked back at him. "I am above everyone else. I'm the Original Alpha. I've bedded monarchs and Popes. I can control the world with the flick of my wrist. Learn the difference between keeping everyone at a distance and everyone acknowledging my superiority."

She went to turn away from him when he spoke up again. "I think you're afraid of letting anyone in. I think you would rather everyone fear and hate you than have someone get close enough that they could possibly hurt you."

He could see the fire in her eyes now, burning, as she uncrossed her arms and stepped forward. The face that had only a few minutes before been soft and innocent was now filled with anger, and he swore he could see the veins ready to burst out.

"Do not think the fact that you intrigue me means that I am interested in you. I enjoy you; however, you are a plaything. A commoner. A human." Whereas before it had been like she was just giving him a list, she spat out the last word at him. "You're a little puzzle for me to figure out, and then you will go back to your pathetic dull life. Get a little wolf in you, and maybe we can talk again. Now, excuse me while I go clean up your family's mess."

She stomped away from him and he followed her as she opened up the door and walked further down the hallway. "Caroline, wait-"

He could see that this was clearly her bedroom, and she was pushing her feet into plain leather black boots. She looked up at him for a moment, the anger still in her eyes, and as she marched to the door, she pushed him back out of her way. He followed her as she walked down the stairs, trying to get her to stop, but unable to reach her.

Stefan Salvatore came out of the sitting room, followed closely behind by Bonnie and Elijah. Finn and Alaric were both looking over at him, but his main concern was Caroline. Was she going to lash out? Was the deal still on? Had he upset her too badly?

"Caroline, where are you going?" Stefan asked, and then Caroline turned to look at them all as she flung open the front door.

"Bonnie, the Mikaelsons are going to bring you to their house to start teaching their little witch. I'm going to go deal with their vampire brother. I'll see you there."

She flashed out the door and Klaus looked at his brothers. Bonnie was heading upstairs, presumably to get ready to leave, and Stefan was returning to the sitting room. Elijah stepped forward and grabbed his arm, then asked, "Are you ok, Niklaus? What happened up there?"

The fact of the matter was, Klaus wasn't really sure what had happened up there. Even if he knew, he wasn't sure he really wanted to share. He had been ready to take her, fuck her, possess her, and then she had pulled away. He had tried to talk to her, and she had shut him down.

"I have no idea," he said quietly, then looked at Stefan, who was studying him. It was hard for him to find the right words. Elijah turned to face Stefan as well, and put a question forward for him. "Aren't you going to go with her? Make sure she doesn't do something crazy?"

Stefan shrugged, and stared straight back at Klaus. "Caroline lives by her own rules. Trying to get her to do anything forces her to turn the exact opposite direction. You have a better chance of stopping Alaric from drinking."

---

AN

BETAS : a-little-blonde-distraction, livingdeadblondegirl, authenticheart, Topaz Dragon

Shout Outs : HybridLovelies! THANKS FOR READING DOLL! I'm so glad my doppelganger's big sis is reading! Cassieeeeeeee I looooooveeeeee yoooouuuuuu!

So! This chapter was SUPPOSED to include Caroline/Kol/Bonnie/Rebekah, but I finished the Klaroline scene, and somehow I was over 7k words. I decided to just go ahead and stop.

So, I'm sure you all realize what that means... Caroline in the Mikaelson house with the babies, Kol gets to meet Bonnie, Rebekah has girls around that are also annoyed by her brothers, and Elijah / Stefan will have another Hair Care Moment.

Oh, and some Klaroline too. Just cause.

Someone mentioned not liking so much Caroline in the last chapter. It will rarely happen, but for the scope of the story, we do need to flash out on occasion. It will all make sense later.

Read, Review, and Share! Much Love ~Christine~